Students Gain Sustainability Knowledge Through Courses, Experiences
Image by Ed Brennen
03/10/2023
By Brooke Coupal
When sophomore plastics engineering major Abby Mastromonaco applies for jobs after graduating, she will be better able to highlight her sustainability knowledge to employers, thanks to a new River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) offering.
The RHED program, which launched in 2017, pairs preapproved courses with experiences outside the classroom, giving students the opportunity to earn a special distinction on their transcript. The distinctions can be in leadership, entrepreneurship, global engagement, community engagement and, as of January 2023, sustainability.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really important that future employers see how passionate I am about sustainability,鈥� says Mastromonaco, the first student to sign up for the sustainability distinction in RHED. 鈥淭he distinction is going to set me apart.鈥�
Experiential Learning & Cooperative Education Director Rae Perry oversees the RHED program and says now is the perfect time to introduce the new distinction.
鈥淲e are seeing much more student interest in sustainability,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a value that many of them embrace.鈥�
For Wendy Hyatt, assistant director of experiential learning and signature programs, the beauty of the sustainability distinction is that it鈥檚 interdisciplinary.
鈥淪ustainability doesn鈥檛 belong in just one area,鈥� she says. 鈥淓very major can have a way to pursue interests in sustainability.鈥�
Students looking to complete the sustainability distinction must take two preapproved courses, such as Writing about the Environment or Introduction to Polymer Sustainability. The preapproved list is growing as UMass Lowell welcomes more sustainability-related academic programs across campus, including the Political Science Sustainability and Environmental Politics concentration and the Environmental Science Sustainability option.
鈥淎s UMass Lowell becomes more known for its sustainability, it鈥檚 awesome having all these programs launching at the same time,鈥� says Lori Weeden, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences who helped establish the RHED in sustainability.
Image by Ed Brennen
The wide range of available programs and courses lets students branch outside of their degree pathways and explore sustainability in different disciplines. Mastromonaco鈥檚 course load focuses on plastics engineering, but with the RHED program, she is considering taking Introduction to Environmental Economics.
鈥淭he class will allow me to get a different area of exposure,鈥� she says.
In addition to taking two courses, students must complete two sustainability-related experiences. For Mastromonaco鈥檚 first experience, she is helping Raytheon Technologies with its sustainability initiatives, one of which includes spreading awareness via a video campaign about how simple tasks like shutting off lights and unplugging computers can save energy.
鈥淚t will show how even one person can make a difference in a company that鈥檚 as large as Raytheon,鈥� says Mastromonaco, who is doing a six-month co-op at the company鈥檚 Andover, Massachusetts, location.
Other experiences that count for the RHED in sustainability include serving as a UML student observer at the United Nations Conference of the Parties, winning a Rist Institute Climate Mitigation prize, receiving a Sustainability Engagement and Enrichment Development grant, volunteering for local sustainability organizations, working with the Office of Sustainability on greenhouse and green roof projects, and running the climate simulator for a school group or civic organization.
Students can also propose different experiences to a committee of faculty and staff for approval, allowing for flexibility that Paula Haines, senior director of curriculum assessment and accreditation, says is beneficial for students.
鈥淣ot every student thinking about sustainability has the same set of concerns or the same emphasis,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he program has the flexibility to meet students鈥� interests.鈥�
Students are required to write a reflection piece for each course and experience that they finish for the RHED program. Through these reflections, the students will learn the best ways to articulate how the program has expanded their sustainability knowledge.
鈥淭he RHED program gives our students an edge,鈥� Hyatt says. 鈥淭his is a powerful avenue for students to marry a personal interest with their academics in a credentialed way, and they can present their knowledge to employers when they graduate.鈥�
